Robot Relations - Megatron and Starscream
by GreyLiliy
Summary: Transformers One-Shots and Short Fiction featuring Megatron & Starscream. Genre, Pairing & Ratings will vary (ranging from K to M).
1. Relations

Took a break from my original writing to visit the more fun and/or less intimidating world of fanfiction by sorting through some old work. I found an un-posted Megatron & Starscream fic and decided to post it because-why not? I've been in a Megs/Star mood lately anyway. XD

And then I made this a collection of one-shots in the event I finish the other little drabbles and short fiction I found in the same folder-or I might even write some new stuff. We'll see. Ratings will vary, and I hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Relations**

_Pairing:_ Megatron x Starscream

_Rating:_ **M** for non-graphic sexual situations, specifically for Transfomrers: Wire-Play. (Honestly, I think this would be safe under a PG-13 rating, but I like to rate things harsher on to play things safe with their guidelines).

_Other Notes:_ I wrote this in January 2011 and have posted as it stood. I didn't re-edit/re-write anything, so it's a bit rougher than I'd like to see my writing now-a-days. It's almost painful to look at, but I still like how it turned out. Sort of like admiring old artwork. XD

* * *

It was times like this Starscream was well aware any attempt to overpower Megatron would be futile. It was as if every system in his body was overwhelmed by the sheer force of raw, uncontrolled energy. His servos clung to sleek grey plates on his back surely hard enough to scratch the surface but unnoticed by the mech clinging to him. A mech surprisingly in control considering that despite the rough play, the engulfing power, he had yet to leave so much as a dent in his second in command.

Megatron was a force of nature all on his own.

Starscream felt every system in his body release a deep shudder when the energy transfer peaked through the wires connecting the two of them together. Megatron's weight on top of him kept him from jerking about and held him in place; it was not uncomfortable. Starscream wasn't quite sure of Megatron's motives for meeting him like this on occasion. Perhaps the point was to remind Starscream of his futility in his take-over stunts. This was a mech who could take down Devastator by himself if he so choose and the authority he held in the berth only reflected that.

Though, Starscream wondered, a beating could do much of the same, so again, motives were called into question. Establishing dominance could have been such a motive, but Megatron had other methods for doing that as well from verbal assault to letting Starscream be humiliated in front of others. No, this was more intimate. Private. And Megatron had no illusion that had Starscream not wanted to be here, he wouldn't. Not willingly anyway.

Which lead to all sorts of other questions, why would Starscream be here willingly? To feel something? To remind himself that to kill Megatron it would take far more than strength? Or maybe even Starscream knew there were some battles just not worth fighting, including the consequences of telling Megatron 'no' for something so, unrelated to the war.

"Stop thinking so much." Megatron growled into the joint between Starscream's neck and vents. He breathed in the smell of oil and energon flowing just beneath his chin in slim tubing. "It's not that complicated."

"Says the mech," Starscream let out a tiny bit of static when Megatron's fingers dipped into the joint where his hip met the bottom of his cockpit. Starscream took a moment to compose to finish his sentence with a smirk. "Whose interfacing someone who tries to kill him on a regular basis."

Megatron had the nerve to laugh, pleasant sensation following the wires that lead to the seeker leaving him to shudder again beneath him. Megatron stroked the tip of the yellow glass thoughtfully. "I think this is the one case where your hatred for me is preferred." He dropped his hands from what they were doing to frame the Seeker's face, eyes burning with something quite close to utter abhorrence cloaking something else Megatron refused to speculate on. "Fear makes for a poor bedmate."

"Finally admitting you don't scare me?" Starscream replied smugly before getting a gasp out of Megatron thanks to blue servos finding just the right little dip in his plating to tease and press.

"Nonsense," Megatron chuckled before grabbing Starscream's hips and moving him forward with a shove to pull them both higher up on the berth. "You merely understand me well enough to know when fear is appropriate." Starscream huffed and tried to squirm a bit, but Megatron held him in place. "Despite your failed attempts at assassination and treachery, your supposed hatred of me, it stands that you probably know me better than anyone in this army.

"The others do not." Megatron continued as he grunted to Starscream's own pulses of energy. "I bring them in here and they cower, grovel, and beg of me to spare them or make it quick." Megatron tilted his head just enough to look the Seeker in the eye.  
"Much like you during the day, actually." Starscream returned the jab by snaking his hand under a plate and grabbing a handful of wires and _twisted_. Megatron grinned into the pain that rocketed through his wiring. "They would never dream of doing that, for example."

"It's not so hard to believe you're equally as terrifying in the berth as you are during the day." Starscream groaned. Megatron was doing that thing he liked with the spontaneous data bursts. Primus Starscream hated this mech. "I don't think they could take it."

They were close by this point, to where their bodies had exchanged and multiplied so many packets of data, energy and raw emotion from their very sparks that everything blissfully broke open into white before their optics. He never failed to reach this point while with Starscream. One of the few officers or Decepticons who realized this was purely recreational, sport. A need for intimacy with another living life form to remind himself of his own beating spark. "No, perhaps they couldn't."


	2. Act of Mercy

I think I'm avoiding my novels by working on fanfiction instead. Oh well! XD

So, here's a little pairing, but mostly gen fic covering a topic I've often wondered about concerning my favorite Seeker and Shuttle.

**Act of Mercy**

_Summary: _Starscream has yet to show up for his post, so Megatron pays a visit to his quarters to discover why.

_Pairing_: Megatron & Starscream, Starscream & Skyfire (Friendship/Respect shipping, mostly. Could be more if you want.)

_Rating_: K+ for mentions of proposed violence.

_Other Notes: _G1, minor AU. Takes place directly after _Fire in the Sky._

* * *

It was too quiet on the command deck.

Megatron tapped his finger on the edge of the captain's chair, trying to bring some sort of noise into the room to counterbalance the droning white noise of computers whirling and Soundwave's hypnotic typing. Normally he'd have a steady stream of chatter and bickering in the background as he read the endless list of reports and procedurals, but today-nothing.

He couldn't concentrate like this.

"Soundwave," Megatron said, tossing his data pad onto a side table. "Where is Starscream? He's not still in the medbay is he? He was already in there for a week."

"Released by Hook: Last work cycle," Soundwave answered, never once breaking the beat of his typing. "Current location: Quarters."

Megatron drummed his fingers on his armrest. "And what is he doing-Nevermind, I'll find out myself. Watch the bridge."

Soundwave paused in his typing for an entire second as Megatron rose from his chair and exited the command room. "Affirmative."

* * *

Starscream flinched hard enough to drop his data pad when his door rattled from the boom of the hit and Megatron's shout of his name.

He fumbled to retrieve it from the ground, his shaking fingers, missing it twice before he lifted it from the floor. He sucked air through his vents and steadied his hand through sheer force of will. Starscream reached across the wall and entered the code to open his door from the control panel. He hissed, "It's open."

Starscream wasn't ready for this.

Megatron looked taken aback by the open door, his optics wide and mouth slightly open. He expected more of a fight? _Ha._ He didn't deserve it. Starscream dimmed his optics to a soft glow, as Megatron brightened his own to adjust to the lack of light. Starscream hadn't bothered to turn his lights on when he awoke from recharge, and he certainly wasn't going to now. Megatron huffed, and tapped the light switch on as he stepped into the room. His bulk filled the tiny quarters, smothering Starscream without touching him.

But that was a minor offense.

Starscream concentrated on his data pad, half surprised it hadn't lit on fire with the intensity. His pumps whined from the pressure of pumping energon, and the tenseness of his frame. Megatron would start any moment. Starscream's fingers started to shake despite his best efforts. He didn't want to hear it.

Starscream didn't want to hear it.

The warlord started first, unable to take the silence any longer: "Starscream, is there a reason you did not arrive at your post this morning?"

He could go with submission and avoid Megatron the rest of the day, or he could go with anger. Starscream chose anger.

"Why?" Starscream sneered as he asked, eyes still glued to the data pad. The complex equations and star charts gave him no comfort. "Upset you missed your chance to gloat my first day back on shift, oh _mighty leader?_"

"Gloat over what?" Megatron asked, genuinely confused if the way his brow narrowed was any indication. Starscream felt offended.

"Like you don't know!" Starscream tossed the data pad on his berth. The screen cracked, sparking from the impact. "It's been over a week. There's no possible way you haven't done it already. So get it over with! Throw it in my face and be _done with it_!"

"My patience is wearing thin, Starscream," Megatron said. He detached his fusion canon as he took a seat on Starscream's berth across from the Seeker. It hit the ground with a thump as he leant it against the wall. "What possible affront have you concocted in that head of yours, that I have supposedly committed, that has you locked in your quarters?"

Starscream stood, for once looking down on his towering leader. He hissed, his wings twitching. "Like you don't know. How _dare_ you. I won't be played with that way!"

Megatron's stony countenance lasted for what felt like an eternity with the two staring each other down. In truth it was only a matter of seconds, before his hand shot out, crunching around Starscream's wing.

"Sit down," Megatron ordered. Starscream yelped as he was pulled down, and shoved back into his desk chair. "I am tired, there is a mountain of paperwork to get through after that wretched failure in the artic, and my Second in Command is throwing a Sparkling's hissy fit. I do not have the patience for this, Starscream. Explain yourself. Clearly."

"Skyfire," Starscream's voice hitched, the spark shooting through the damaged vocalizer. "You killed him, and you're going to hold it over my head! Tell me what a fool I was! Tell me all about what poor company I keep! So just get it over with, already!"

Starscream's spark quivered in the silence. The lines in Megatron's face evened out. His expression turned contemplative. Starscream wasn't sure how to read that, so he looked to the floor.

"I haven't touched the shuttle, Starscream," Megatron said, his words slow and searching. They hinted at further explanation that Starscream refused to give, or admit. Megatron instead crossed his hands under his chin, and studied Starscream. "Skyfire still functions."

"Don't-don't lie to me," Starscream said. He shot to his feet, not caring about the consequences of another bent wing. He threw his hand out as his voice rose. "He disobeyed direct orders. He attacked _you_. He _defected._

"Despite my personal exception, you've killed for far lesser offenses." Starscream turned sharply toward the side wall, his intakes still. It was a struggle to keep his wings and head upright. His voice was quiet. "There's no way you haven't deactivated him."

Megatron's words held a hint of frustration. "Starscream, the shuttle still functions."

"How!?" Starscream shouted at the wall. He shook his head, his hands groping the air, looking for answers to such a contradictory statement. "How could you not have done it? Are you...biding your time? Is that it? Does your sick, twisted mind want me to watch?"

"I have no plans to prosecute the traitor, Skyfire." Megatron stood, and retrieved his canon. The motion was methodical. Controlled. It set Starscream on edge. Would he be shot? Megatron clicked his canon in place, but made no move to aim it at Starscream. "Despite his brutish strength and bulk, he made for a poor Decepticon. The Autobots can keep him."

Starscream should have left the answer as it stood. It was a good answer. The perfect answer. But he couldn't. Starscream had...he'd been so _prepared_ to deal with Skyfire's second death. To process grieving even after Skyfire had shot a laser knife through his spark chamber in his betrayal.

Starscream didn't understand, so childish as it seemed to him, he asked. "Why?"

"I believe I already answered that question, Starscream." Megatron opened the door to Starscream's quarters with a quiet click to the control panel. "I expect to see you on Deck in a half hour."

The door slid shut behind Megatron, blanketing Starscream in the dark. Confused and conflicted.

* * *

Megatron stared at the data pad in his hand, not really paying attention. Starscream had returned to his post, as ordered, but he remained quiet. After his explosion in his quarters, Megatron didn't expect the Seeker to return to his fiery self for at least a few more days.

Megatron had severely underestimated the Seeker's attachment to the shuttle.

He knew the shuttle's death would have an affect, but he hadn't predicted the extent. Megatron rubbed between his eyes, playing back the look of utter grief in Starscream's eyes as he shouted at his leader. Interesting enough, Soundwave had asked Megatron many of the same questions earlier when it was made clear Megatron had no intention of pursuing a punishment for the traitor. Starscream hadn't been wrong: Defection was the worst offense that could be committed under the Decepticon Insignia, and he'd declared capital punishment for far worse.

But his spark wasn't in it, and he pardoned the shuttle.

Not for any act or semblance of mercy, Megatron snarled to himself, but for the sake of his sanity. The consequences of killing the traitor Skyfire weren't worth it. The warlord was no stranger to death, or inflicting times of grief and mourning on others, but even Megatron wouldn't wish the experience of losing a loved one on some poor soul_ twice_. Even if the idiot _did_ deserve it on occasion. Megatron didn't think he could handle a grieving Starscream, let alone the anger and revenge he'd unleash on behalf of the idiot shuttle.

A broken and devastated Seeker was even more worthless than an endlessly rebellious one.

The shift ended as it began, Megatron noted, in soft whirls and intakes shifting air. He set his pad down at the same time his 2nd stood from his console. Starscream's head was high and his practiced strut gave nothing away to the inner turmoil that had silenced his vocalizer for the extent of the work shift. Starscream stopped at the side of Megatron's throne for a second on his way past to the main door. His hands were clenched. His optics burned, their gaze locked on the Command Room door.

As quietly as a breath, Starscream said "Thank you."

Megatron did nothing in response. They merely let the weight of the words have their effect. The Seeker took the response for what it was and left the room. Soundwave followed soon after, surely to nurse his cassettes or spy on some unsuspecting sap. Megatron remained in his chair, staring at the ever changing monitors as the workers of next shift shuffled into the room.

Perhaps, an act of mercy could be justified on occasion.


	3. Lost Without Him

_Written in June 2013_

I have a thing for age-gap, and Megs and Screamer fit the bill because my eternal headcannon/meta/whatever for Megatron is that he is a grey-haired old man. And Starscream is a teenage/early 20's brat. :D

Also, I'm forever amused Starscream does Megatron's repairs in G1.

* * *

**Lost Without Him**

_Characters:_ Megatron & Starscream (G1)

_Pairing:_ Pre/Implied Interest for Starscream x Megatron

_Rating:_ T for Violence & Injuries

_Summary:_ While "disciplining" Starscream, Megatron's age starts to show. Starscream is amused (and jealous). Megatron can't be bothered to beat him for it.

* * *

On the battlefield, Megatron was all sound and fury. A fiery temper accented with the pounding of fists and guttural battle cries.

Alone in his quarters, "disciplining" his second, he was full of fury, but his sound was reduced to mutterings under his breath that cursed everyone from Prime to Starscream. The words dripped with that special sort of self-loathing that took responsibility for failure without saying it as such.

Metal screeched as Starscream slid across the floor from Megatron's over the shoulder toss. He pushed up with a grunt, and wiped a smear of energon off his bottom lip and a pool of it developing beneath him. Starscream heard the crunch of metal as Megatron punched the wall behind him, and rolled his optics as he sat up on his knees. Starscream wasn't so much the center of Megatron's attention, as he was merely a witness and a warm body to hit when the walls and furniture failed to satisfy.

Starscream was a necessary spectator and opponent in Megatron's world. He didn't trust anyone else to witness his tantrums, and he couldn't throw a tantrum without someone present.

Take the gladiator out of Kaon, but not Kaon out and all that.

Either way, Megatron needed Starscream's presence. No one else would see these bouts of self-loathing and still respect him, and Megatron needed these releases for his own peace of mind and sanity

He'd be lost without Starscream.

The subject of his wrath today? Motormaster and his crew of junkers. Superion wiped the floor with Menasaur in their last battle, and if that wasn't bad enough, Silverbolt got a lucky hit on Motormaster afterwards. The semi was out of commission for at least an Earth week. His prized babies smacked down by a bunch of pathetic flyer-wannabees.

Megatron was furious.

A communications box smashed into the wall near Starscream's head. He backed up, looking at the wreckage of his glorious leader's comm screen and snorted. Megatron was huffing behind him, shaking his fist free of the tiny electronic bits.

"Soundwave's going to be furious you broke that," Starscream snorted. It wasn't like Megatron to destroy things given to him by his precious Third-in-Command. He climbed to his feet, the broken joint in his knee sparking. "I'll be hearing Rumble complain about his bad mood for weeks."

"Can you never keep your mouth shut?" Megatron snarled.

Apparently not, Starscream thought to himself as the fist headed toward his face. Drawing attention to himself never ended well, but he just couldn't help it some days. Starscream's cheek smashed into the floor again. The tell-tale split of glass as his optic glass cracked sent a wave of frustration down his spinal strut. He'd have to visit Hook for that one. Skywarp and TC were useless with fragile work.

Before he could get to his hands and knees, Megatron kicked him in the side. Starscream's feet scraped against the ground as he crawled. He was hit again. Starscream felt his knee slip in a puddle of energon and sighed. Megatron heard it, as it were, and threw another kick to Starscream's side. He snarled back, "Hey! That—"

"Frag!" Megatron shouted, leaning over and grabbing his back with his hand. He hunched over, an leant against the wall on his forearm. He leaned his head down and his optics flickered. He rubbed an area of his hip, and shook his head. His face was laced in pain, and is entire body was stiff, as if moving would trigger another wave of agony. He thumped his head against the wall and moaned, "Primus."

The Second-in-Command sat up, his eyes wide as he took in his leader's stance and the way Megatron's fingers tried to massage the wiring at the bottom of his waist. Starscream snorted, covering his mouth. He tasted his own energon on his hand, dripping from the wrist, but grinned anyway.

Starscream almost bit his lip to keep from laughing. "Did…did you pull your hip?"

With the arm he was using as a brace for the wall, Megatron covered his optics and sighed away his energy. He flicked his finger toward Starscream. "Get out. Tell Soundwave to report to my quarters, and then report to Med Bay."

Starscream pulled himself up using the wall, using the base of the window as a brace. He stood on his shaky peds and looked at his leader, obviously embarrassed out of his mind. Age. A spark could last eternity, but their bodies did not—no matter how well maintained. Starscream's elbow sparked as he shuffled toward his Leader.

Megatron glanced at him, breathing heavily as his internals cycled more air to cool whatever was held up and causing such problems. "What are you still doing here?"

Starscream pushed away Megatron's hand from his hip. "I'll get it."

"Starscream, you're leaking energon everywhere and twitching. I don't want your shaky hands anywhere near it," Megatron said. "Get Soundwave and go to med bay. I'm done with you."

"My shaky hands'll be more than enough. Better than Soundwave any day," Starscream muttered, letting a new stream of energon flow out over his teeth. He wiped it away, and pulled at the hip. "Move your hand."

Megatron pushed at Starscream, and winced as a spark flew from the top of his hip. He rubbed his optics as they flickered, adjusting to the warning messages surely flashing by his eyes. "Stop being a stubborn brat and leave."

"Stop being a senile old man and let me look!" Starscream screamed back. His hands shook slightly, but he managed to swap his finger for his micro-repair tool. He glared at Megatron until the aged beast rolled his optics. He was in too much pain to argue. How telling, Starscream mused. "Better. I could do these repairs in my sleep-cycle, anyway."

"Of course, because everything you do is better," Megatron snorted. "Heaven forbid Soundwave do some of my repairs. It's not like I don't alternate between the two of you, anyway."

"He's a hack," Starscream said absently as he opened a panel at the base of Megatron's hip. The exposed wiring steamed, overheated. An energy block. Or leak. Something wasn't flowing right, either way. Starscream rebooted his optics to look closer. "I'm surprised his cassettes are still functioning."

Megatron shook his head. Starscream thought he heard a chuckle, but that would be impossible. Megatron shifted slightly under Starscream's ministrations. "You're so easily jealous."

"I'm not jealous," Starsceam hissed. Bits of his energon dripped into the wounds, sizzling on the exposed wire as he pushed through, scanning with a single good optic for the pull. It's not like Megatron hadn't been covered in Starscream's energon before. "I'm just better."

Megatron moaned—not the good kind, either—and bit his lip as Starscream opened a second panel to search deeper. He pushed a wire aside, and smirked when the warlord growled to cover the pain. "It is amazing how much these little tiny things on the inside can hurt compared to fists and kicks, isn't it? The Mighty Megatron whimpering from a broken connector."

"Is that the problem?" Megatron asked, wincing as Starscream pulled loose wires out of the way. They hung around his hips, their sensitive coating open to the hair. "A broken connector?"

"You snapped it right in half, and a few wires near your main rotation joint disconnected," Starscream answered. He placed the tip of his repair took to the connector hanging loosely from a sparking wire. "It's so brittle I'm shocked its held as long as it has. Your age is showing, old man."

"And so is yours," Megatron smirked. "You'd rather repair my hip than take care of your own injuries because you don't want to share with Soundwave. It's like a sparkling with a toy."

"Are you calling yourself a toy?" Starscream asked, pulling pieces of the broken connector out. The tiny bits of black metal clinked as they hit the ground. They rolled into the pink puddle under Starscream's feet. "And where are your spare parts? This needs replaced."

"What I am, and what you think I am are hardly comparable," Megatron sighed. He turned his head toward a broken desk and waved at it. "Top drawer."

"Don't move." Starscream jerked as his knee flashed and twisted when he took a step. He held his arms out for balance for a full minute, before continuing toward the desk. Starscream's knee had given out completely and he had to drag it behind him. Starscrem dug through three drawers before finding the required component.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Megatron asked as his second as he took his place back at the hip. "How can you even see with that cracked optic?"

"Stop whining," Starscream said. He leaned on Megatron with his shoulder to stay upright as he pulled at the wire's in the larger mech's hip. Starscream felt drained, knowing he'd need to see Hook soon himself. But he was so close to being done. He leaned his head on Megatron's side, listening to the still functioning internals above whirling softly. Starscream pulled the two wires close together, and inserted the loose ends into the new connector. "I'm working."

Starscream continued in blissful silence for another few minutes before he was finished. He carefull placed the wires back in place and snapped the panels closed. He took a step back and Megatron straightened. He had left a smear of pink on the mech's side. Starscream felt a little proud of that. "Well?"

The warlord twisted at his waist, back and forth, checking for any hint of pain. Finding none, like Starscream knew he wouldn't, he nodded in approval.

"Better than Soundwave?" Starscream smirked, tasting still wet energon on his teeth.

"Go to the medbay, Starscream," Megatron cracked a smile. The "You're such an insufferable brat" was spoken through his optics alone.

Starscream took what he could. "Fine, since we're all done here."

The screech of metal and the sounds of growls and guttural uttering were replaced with the quiet scraping of Megatron replacing his furniture to their upright positions. Starscream closed his leader's quarters door behind him, a smirk on his face. He was far better than Soundwave.

Megatron would be lost without Starscream.


	4. Underground

Written while listening to "You Don't Know Me" by Elizabeth Gillies on loop. It's officially become my image song for Starscream. Though, it doesn't have much to do with this fic. I just thought I'd share. "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)" by Pink may have snuck in as well. INSPIRATION.

Anyway, the following scenario is loosely inspired by "Rock Bottom" from Prime, and that Megatron once being a miner will never fail to be impressive.

* * *

**Underground**

_Characters:_ Starscream, Skyfire, Megatron, Sideswipe & Sunstreaker (G1)

_Rated: K+_

_Summary:_ Separated from the group in an underground fire-fight, Skyfire and Starscream are trapped under a shower of debris and stone.

* * *

"I'm sure this is your fault somehow."

"And I'm pretty sure that's become your default answer to all your problems."

"Your point?"

"Just speaking out loud, Starscream," Skyfire said, shifting his elbow slightly to get more comfortable under the weight. The shuttle exhaled out his vents heavily, the air hot on Starscream's back. Skyfire grunted. "Not like I can do much else at the moment."

"Point," Starscream admitted, albeit reluctantly. Who did he have to impress down here? The Seeker pulled his knees in closer to himself and leaned back, his wings thumping against the much larger Autobot's thighs.

Megatron's latest plan—drilling again—had hit a snag when instead of finding life-giving energy crystals, the drill bust into an open cave system. Unsupported, the entire mechanism fell straight through and smashed into the bottom. Starscream huffed, happy for once he wasn't in charge of scouting the drill site. And of course, the Autobots arrived at the worst possible time, and fighting ensued in the caves.

He wasn't quite sure how, but one way or another Starscream was thrown into a deep crevice and hit rock bottom. Something had been knocked loose inside his thrusters, reducing them to stylish heels alone and he was stuck. To ice his cake, Starscream looked up to the pit opening, and saw a loose missile far above his head flying full force upward toward the massive rock formations clinging to the cave roof. Starscream cringed and covered his head with his hands, waiting for the rain of rubble.

When he onlined his optics, he saw Skyfire.

The massive idiot was bent over him, kneeling of all things, acting as a protective shield. Starscream still had room to stand up, and turn around, but he was still trapped under the Shuttle's care. Rocks surrounded them, and Skyfire's gears and pistons whined under the crushing weight. Save for the glow of their optics, it was pitch black.

They were buried.

"How'd you get here!? " Starscream had screamed at him, of course. It was all he ever seemed to do with the Shuttle any more. "And I didn't need your help!"

"And I gave it anyway." A rock shook loose when Skyfire moved an inch. He stopped, a frustrated scowl on his face. "And to answer the first part: sliding and thrusters."

The answer was sensible, though still infuriating. After confirming both of their comms were offline, Starscream sighed and sat down. All they could do now was wait for some Autobot to climb down here looking for Skyfire.

Starscream already knew no one would come looking for him.

"Should I even bother to ask why you saved me?" Starscream muttered as he shifted a ped on the solid rock as he hunched near the solid warmth of Skyfire.

"I'm not even going to bother answering that," the shuttle said. Starscream ignored the sounds of heavy air cycling, desperately trying to cool the shuttle's straining systems. "You're not usually one for stupid questions, Starscream."

"Oh, don't go saying it's because you care," Starscream snorted. "If you cared, you wouldn't have defected to the Autobots, Traitor."

"There's a big difference between not supporting your universal domination cause, and not caring about you personally, Starscream," Skyfire said, an odd smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He laughed, letting loose a dusting of dirt. "I could support you fine when you were just an aft, but I had to draw the line when you started shooting at me."

"Ha, ha," Starscream rolled his optics. "You weren't even that hurt. I've done far worse to Skywarp for disobeying orders or pranks."

"My point," Skyfire smiled a bit. "You're cute when you're a jerk, but giving you firepower to back up the attitude was a mistake. We were all much safer when all you had to mess with were chemicals in the lab."

"Do you really think you get to make jokes right now?" Starscream snorted, he shoved a ped forward, and flicked his wing's into Skyfire's plating. "This situation doesn't seem all that funny."

"Well, you weren't crushed by boulders," Skyfire said. He grit his teeth and took a moment to focus on holding his position. His optics shut off for two seconds before onlining. Starscream crushed an odd feeling that was nipping at his spark. "So I consider this a success all around. Why not be in a good mood?"

"You're an idiot." Starscream cradled his head in his arms. "And I seem to recall you blowing up our lab at least once thanks to those chemicals. I think that did a little more damage than my blaster."

"Yeah, I was in the University Medbay for three cycles from that one. But then again, what good scientist hasn't blown up a lab?" Skyfire laughed again, but had to stop when the dust and rock shook loose. Starscream pulled closer to Skyfire when it started to pool at the edges of Skyfire's make-shift shelter. The shuttle continued as if their doom hadn't inched closer. "I mean, look at Wheeljack. He blows up his lab once a week."

"And yet you still chose to side with the Autobots."

"Half-a-point," Skyfire said. His smile strained, but it was still fond. "But I'll raise you a Skywarp and call it even."

"That's different," Starscream snorted. "You pick your friends—"

"But not your family," Skyfire rolled his optics. "I know."

Skyfire's optics continued to flicker on and off, and the conversation died from there. The screeching sound of metal scraping against metal grew louder, and Starscream bit his lip. Talking was straining Skyfire's concentration more than he was letting on, and Starscream had no desire to be crushed by rocks and the collapsing shuttle. So they sat together, with nothing to do but listen to the shifting rocks above, and grinding gears.

"Hey, Starscream," Skyfire whispered. "I know that things are never going to be what they were between us."

Starscream nearly shut off his audio sensors. He didn't want to hear this, but he hesitated. Something in that voice, the soft reserve. It cut to the spark.

"But, that doesn't change that I," Skyfire paused. "I really—"

The glowing end of a purple mace smashed through the rock next to Skyfire's head.

"What the frag?" Starscream yelped, as he scrambled further back.

The Seeker clanged into Skyfire's chassis in his attempt to get away from the familiar glowing weapon. Rocks and debris showered down into the free space, shoved out of the way by an unnaturally strong force. Starscream, flush against Skyfire, stared up. Another grunt came from above, followed by a brightly glowing swing, and rock disintegrated from the heat. The hole widened, and a large grey body dropped down with a heavy thud.

Starscream straightened up, hitting his head on Skyfire's neck. He winced as Skyfire grumbled, and asked, "Megatron? How'd you get down here?"

"I used to live underground, fool," Megatron said, an eyebrow lifted. His mace glowed at his side for a moment longer, before he swapped it out for his hand. "You think I can't get around a cave?"

A slide of rocks tumbled down, smacking into Skyfire's helm. The shuttle whined, and his gears wheezed trying to adjust to the shifting weight above him. Skyfire glared at Megatron, grinding his teeth together. "That's all well and good, but since I assume you're here for Starscream, would you hurry and grab him before I can't hold this anymore?"

"And why should I take orders from a traitor?" Megatron asked brushing a bit of dirt from the front of Skyfire's helm. Starscream scoffed as he crawled out from under Skyfire. Megatron grabbed the Seeker by the arm to pull him the rest of the way. "And what makes you think I'm here for him?"

Skyfire smirked, but didn't say anything. The two stared each other down as Starscream pulled his arm back, and stepped into the open space Megatron had cleared. Skyfire was steadier now, save for the slight shaking of his limbs under the changing weight of the now moving rocks above.

Megatron turned away first, snarling.

Starscream opened his mouth, but was cut off when Megatron shoved him roughly toward the wall. The tyrant pointed up, and said in a single clipped voice, "Climb."

The frustrated grunt gave no room for back talk, and Starscream glanced once at Skyfire and his new lonely burden, before grabbing the wall. He pulled up and climbed through the tunnel Megatron had carved out through probably sheer will. Megatron followed, grunting and fingers finding purchase in the rocks with ease. The sounds of Skyfire's strain lessoned each foot higher he climbed until eventually, Starscream pulled himself out of the hole. He hopped up and out of the way as Megatron breached the surface like a titan breaking free.

Starscream looked down below at the tiniest of blue lights glowing in the dark at the bottom. They flickered like a dying light bulb before disappearing into a void of black.

"Let's move. You've wasted enough of my time already, Starscream," Megatron said as he rolled out his shoulder joint. He glared in the direction of the few Decepticons waiting on their leader next to damaged rock formations. He frowned at them and hissed lowly. "Worthless, all of them. Too weak to dig and climb and do real work. I've been too soft on all of you."

"Poor leaders usually are," Starscream quipped out of habit.

"Says the fool saved by a soft hearted shuttle," Megatron said. He rubbed at the space between his eyes, and growled. "Let's go."

Starscream crossed his arms and huffed as the warlord walked away to yell at the other bystanders sitting around as useless as the rocks. Starscream moved forward two feet before a hand covered his mouth and he was yanked back.

"Skyfire," Sideswipe hissed close to Starscream's left audio. He held Starscream in a stranglehold, pointing a blaster at his head. Sideswipe shoved the barrel of it hard enough into the side of Starscream's helm to scratch the paint. "He alive down there? Nod or shake your head."

Starscream spotted the psychotic Sunstreaker glaring from the shadows, the blue optics looking as menacing as Decepticon Red. The vain creature was a nice compliment to the utter rage that had the red twin vibrating as he dented Starscream from his grip.

More relieved than he should have been, Starscream nodded.

"Good," Sideswipe said. He shoved Starscream forward into the dirt and headed for the opening. He transformed one hand into a pile driver and leapt into the hole toward the stranded shuttle.

"Beat it, Seeker," Sunstreaker said, walking up behind Starscream. "We'll take it from here."

Starscream nodded and walked away. The sooner he got back to the surface the better. Nothing good ever happened underground.


End file.
